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September 19, 2007
EVICTIONS MADE (TOO) EASY
NY Post
By Tom Elliot
Our pals at AKRF are back in the news. AKRF is the company that brought you the "Atlantic Yards Environmental Impact Statement," the corresponding "Blight Study," and study of the historical significance of abolitionist homes on Duffield St., all of which, coincidentally, come to stunning conclusions that support the development goals of each project's government sponsor.
Now the same thing is going on in West Harlem, except this time a judge agreed that AKRF might be playing both sides of the field:
TO realize its planned expansion in Manhattanville, Columbia University will need the power of eminent domain - that is, the ability to force property owners to sell at a "fair" price, below what they'd otherwise hold out for. The prospect of such takings has probably caused more resentment than any other part of the school's plan.
Technically, the power would be exercised by the state-run Empire State Development Corp. (ESDC) - which must first reach a formal finding that the area is "blighted."
But the ESDC has subcontracted the study that will make that determination to the consulting firm of AKRF - which Columbia itself has already hired to help sell its overall plan to city officials.
...
Complicating matters is the fact that AKRF, which specializes in environmental-impact statements, has been the government's go-to consultant for just about every major development over the last six years.
...
Asked if there was a single major project where AKRF didn't find in favor of the governing body that hired it, the company declined to comment.
NolandGrab: We're going to go out on a limb here and predict that AKRF will conclude that the footprint of Columbia University's expansion plan is... (envelope please) "BLIGHTED!"
Posted by lumi at September 19, 2007 7:36 AM